Pistachio kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in ice cream and confections such as baklava or biscotti and cold cuts such as mortadella. Americans make pistachio salad, which includes fresh pistachios or pistachio pudding, cool whip, canned fruit and sometimes cottage cheese or marshmallows.

In July 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first qualified health claim specific to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease”.

Pistachio is a small tree native to some regions of Syria, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (especially in the provinces of Samangan and Badghis), that produces an important culinary nut. Pistacia vera often is confused with other species in the genus Pistacia that are also known as pistachio. These species can be distinguished from P. vera by their geographic distributions (in the wild) and their nuts. Their nuts are much smaller, have a strong flavor of turpentine, and have a shell that is not hard. The word pistachio is a loanword from Persian word پسته Peste via Latin.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps drill sergeant and actor, R. Lee Ermey, does it with intimidation. Watch the video to see how he gets crackin’ with Wonderful Pistachios.

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Tonight - Mostly cloudy with light snow showers likely, especially near the lake. Snow accumulation up to 1 inch near the lake. Blustery. Lows from the mid to upper teens outlying to the lower 20s downtown. North winds 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation 60 […]

Today - Cloudy. Light snow likely early this morning mainly north, then a chance of light snow and a slight chance of light rain in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 30s. South winds 10 to 20 mph in the morning shifting to the west in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph late. Chance […]